Her Winter of Darkness

by Melinda Woodhall

  Jerry shrugged, but his expression was thoughtful as he stood and carried his cup to the sink.

  “I doubt the editor of the Gazette would greenlight the story unless she had something to back it up,” he said with reluctance. “But it is hard to believe. I mean, she’s taught half the folks in this town.”

  “If it is true, Ling Lee’s campaign for mayor is likely over.”

  Staring down into her mug, Nessa contemplated another term of Mayor Hadley and his buddies on the city council.

  “Well, I wouldn’t give up hope so fast,” Jerry soothed, seeing her glum expression. “Find out all the facts before you pass judgement.”

  “What I want to know is how Mackenzie Jensen got this information,” she said, shaking her head. “It just seems like very convenient timing, considering Mackenzie’s been writing disparaging articles about Ling’s campaign from the beginning.”

  Nessa tipped the untouched contents of her mug into the sink and decided she might as well head into work. She wanted to be there for Astrid Peterson’s autopsy, even though it was a Saturday.

  “Looks like I’ll have to miss Cole’s game today.”

  Jerry pulled her into a hug as she was heading for the door.

  “You feeling okay?” he asked, leaning back to look into her face. “I know you’re stressed, but you don’t seem like yourself.”

  “Maybe I’m an imposter, like Ling Lee.”

  Her attempt to lighten the mood fell flat. Jerry just stared at her with the worried frown she knew so well.

  “I’m fine,” she insisted, wriggling out of his arms. “But I need to get downtown. Iris is going to perform the autopsy on the woman we found sometime today, and I don’t want to miss it. “

  “You’re the chief now, Nessa,” Jerry said, stopping her in her tracks. “You should let the detectives stand in on the autopsy. Get some rest today, come with me and the boys to the game, and let them do their jobs.”

  Spinning to face him, Nessa felt the room around her sway. She gripped the doorframe for support.

  “That’s not my style,” she said, trying to steady herself. “I can’t sit around at a flag football game while there’s a killer leaving dead bodies in the middle of my town.”

  Jerry stepped forward and gripped her arm.

  “Hey, you really aren’t okay, are you? What’s going on?”

  “I said I’m fine.” Nessa turned toward the door before he could see the fear in her eyes. “I’ll come home once the autopsy’s through. Now, I’ve got to go.”

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  The downtown streets were quiet as Nessa walked the few blocks from the police station to the medical examiner’s office. Passing a sleek black SUV parked by the curb, she was surprised to see Tenley Frost climb down from the passenger seat and head toward City Hall.

  Nessa stared after the SUV as it pulled away.

  Is that Garth Bixby’s car?

  The city’s media relations officer had every right to talk to Mayor Hadley’s campaign manager, but Nessa wondered why they’d met up on a Saturday. Were they planning something related to the mayor’s campaign or the upcoming election?

  Looking after the SUV, Nessa couldn’t be sure who was driving. The vehicle’s dark tinted windows shielded anyone inside from view.

  Who knows, Mayor Hadley could be in there, too. Maybe they’ve been holding secret strategy sessions in Bixby’s SUV. Nothing would surprise me with that man.

  Tenley looked up as Nessa approached, and the police chief wondered if guilt had put the pretty pink flush on her cheeks.

  “Oh, Nessa, I didn’t see you there,” Tenley said, smoothing back her hair and straightening the lapels of her navy-blue coat.

  “I’m on my way to the ME’s office,” Nessa said, looking pointedly at her watch. “The autopsy of the woman we found at Old Willow Square is scheduled for later today.”

  Tenley was too worked up to respond to Nessa’s comment.

  “Can you believe this morning’s story in the Gazette about Lee Ling?” she said, her eyes wide. “Mayor Hadley has already called me twice. He wants to issue a statement as soon as possible.”

  Nessa frowned and crossed her arms over her chest.

  “A statement about what? What does Ling Lee’s past have to do with official city business?” she demanded. “The mayor shouldn’t be using the media relations office to make statements against his political opponent.”

  Shrugging her slim shoulders, Tenley sighed.

  “I know, and I pushed back saying it was inappropriate, but he insists he needs to assure parents of students at Willow Bay High that the city is looking into the matter. He claims he’s already gotten calls from parents asking for an explanation.”

  The words deflated Nessa’s outrage. She knew Mayor Hadley’s intention was to destroy Ling’s reputation, but he had a point.

  If the story in the Gazette proved to be true, Ling would need to explain herself and verify her teaching credentials and qualifications were in fact still valid.

  “Well, I’ll leave it to you and the mayor to figure out,” Nessa said, starting forward. “I need to get going.”

  As she left Tenley behind on the sidewalk, Nessa found herself questioning the woman’s motives. The media relations officer had professed to support Ling Lee’s bid for mayor, but the sight of her getting out of Bixby’s car raised doubts in Nessa’s mind.

  All thoughts of Ling Lee and the upcoming election vanished when Nessa saw Agent Marlowe standing with Jankowski and Vanzinger outside the medical examiner’s office.

  The three men turned to Nessa as she approached. She saw Vanzinger frown, but he didn’t say anything until they were all walking into the big building.

  “What are you doing here, Chief?” he murmured, as he held open the door for her to pass through. “We got this, and you weren’t doing so good yesterday. Why don’t you get some rest?”

  Glaring at him in annoyance, Nessa shook her head.

  “I’m perfectly fine,” she muttered under her breath. “And I want to know what’s going on in this town, if that’s okay with you.”

  Wesley Knox greeted them in the reception area, leading the group down the hall and into a room where protective gear was waiting.

  Once they’d all pulled on masks, coveralls, and booties, the forensics technician showed them to the autopsy suite. The dead woman’s body was already waiting, her small figure covered with a white sheet.

  Decomposition had begun its destruction of the body; the sickly-sweet smell of decay hit Nessa as soon as she walked in, causing her to gag behind her face mask.

  Vanzinger looked over at her with concern, but Nessa ignored him as she took her place around the metal gurney, willing her stomach to settle down.

  “I’m Iris Nguyen, the chief medical examiner for Willow Bay,” Iris said, when she saw Agent Marlowe suited up beside Nessa.

  “Sorry, Iris.” Vanzinger gestured toward Marlowe. “I brought along Special Agent Clint Marlowe with the FBI. He’s working with us on a task force that might have an interest in this case.”

  “That’s fine,” Iris said. “Let’s get started then.”

  Motioning to the body on the table, Iris positioned herself at the head of the metal gurney facing the detectives.

  “We’ve been waiting for her to thaw out for the last twenty-four hours,” Iris explained. “We’ve already done what we could to prep the body and take preliminary photos and measurements.”

  Iris pulled back the white sheet, eliciting a gasp from Nessa at the sight of the woman’s small body on the table, a gaping gunshot wound in the center of her chest.

  “Is that…the exit wound?” Nessa asked, trying to speak without breathing in the cloying odor that wafted up.

  “Yes, as we observed yesterday, the deceased incurred a fatal gunshot wound in the left back region,” Iris confirmed. “As you’ll see when we turn her over, no soot, stippling, or muzzle stamp is visible on the skin around the entrance wound.”
<
br />   She motioned to the reddish-brown wound on the woman’s chest.

  “And based on the size and shape of the exit wound, I’ve concluded she was shot from a distance, probably with a high velocity rifle.”

  The three tall men around the table listened with rapt attention to Iris, and Nessa tried to gauge their reactions, thinking they looked like a band of giants next to the petite medical examiner.

  “So, no bullet, then?” Jankowski abruptly asked, his deep voice muffled behind his mask.

  Shaking her head, Iris looked up to meet the detective’s eyes.

  “No, the bullet went through clean. We’ve already x-rayed the body for fragments and came up with nothing.”

  Iris moved to the bottom of the table and lifted the sheet to expose the woman’s stiff, discolored feet.

  “The body appears to have been frozen almost immediately after death, but I suspect she might have been exposed to freezing temperatures before death, as well.”

  Iris sounded unsure as she pointed to the dead woman’s toes.

  “See, here? The redness and swelling could very well be signs of frostbite. But I can’t be sure.”

  “And time of death?” Vanzinger asked hopefully. “You have any idea when she died?”

  Nessa wasn’t surprised when Iris shook her head.

  “When a body’s frozen like this it’s hard to say,” the medical examiner admitted. “I think we can assume she’d been dead at least twenty-four hours before her body was found.”

  “And what about an identification?” Marlowe asked. “Have you been able to positively identify her yet?”

  This time Iris nodded.

  “We have had luck there.”

  Crossing to a long metal counter against the wall, Iris used a gloved hand to pick up a see-through evidence bag. Nessa saw an ID card of some kind in the bag.

  “A University of Montana ID was in her pocket.”

  Iris sounded sad as she held the bag up to the light.

  “Astrid Peterson was a first-year student. We managed to contact her parents already. They live in Sweden and they were willing to make identification via a remote video call.”

  “Shit,” Vanzinger said. “Part of me was hoping I was wrong.”

  Swallowing back her own disappointment, Nessa put a hand on Vanzinger’s thick shoulder and sighed.

  “At least now her parents know,” Marlowe murmured, and Nessa was surprised to see something like sadness in his dark eyes.

  Iris cleared her throat and seemed to hesitate.

  “What is it, Iris?” Nessa asked, sensing the medical examiner had something else she needed to say.

  “We also found something quite unexpected.” Iris cast a questioning glance at Wesley. “Why don’t you show them, Wesley.”

  The young forensic technician crossed to the counter and picked up another evidence bag. He held it out in front of him so they could all see the laminated ID card inside.

  “We also found something else in Astrid Peterson’s pocket,” Wesley said, raising his eyebrows. “It didn't make a lot of sense until I saw the Willow Bay Gazette this morning.”

  Nessa stared at the University of California student ID. She leaned closer, squinting to read the student’s name.

  “Who’s Lisa Li?’ Marlowe asked from behind her as Nessa gaped at the card, her mind whirring. “And what does she have to do with Astrid Peterson’s homicide?”

  “That’s a good question,” Nessa said, not sure she knew how to explain. “And I think we’re gonna need to find the answer if we hope to catch Astrid Peterson’s killer.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Peyton arrived at the WBPD later than she’d planned, having stopped by Hope House on the off chance that Ruby Chase may have returned to the rehab facility, but no one there had seen the girl since she’d taken off the day before.

  Pushing through the station’s front door, Peyton wished she hadn’t agreed to meet Ingram. It was Saturday after all, and this had been her scheduled weekend off after working the last few weekends in a row.

  But her partner wanted to stop by the convenience store where Ruby Chase had been picked up. The manager who had been working the day she’d been arrested was scheduled to work the day shift, and Ingram was determined to question him.

  “Detective Bell?”

  Peyton paused and looked toward the desk sergeant, who appeared flustered as he waved her over.

  “Sorry to bother you, Detective, but do you know if the chief’s coming in today? I’ve been trying her cell phone with no luck.”

  Before Peyton could answer, the man standing in front of the desk turned to her and nodded, sticking out a hand.

  “I’m Deputy Marshal Vic Santino, a criminal investigator with the U.S. Marshals Service.”

  He flashed a set of even white teeth along with his identification.

  “I knew finding the chief here on the weekend was a long shot, but it’s an urgent matter that can’t wait. Anything you can do to get me in touch with Chief Ainsley would be appreciated.”

  “Nice to meet you, Deputy Santino. I’m Detective Peyton Bell.”

  Giving his hand a quick shake, Peyton returned his smile, curious as to what the U.S. Marshals Service wanted with Nessa.

  “I’ll give Chief Ainsley another call,” she said, resisting the urge to ask what case had brought him to Willow Bay. “After the day we had yesterday, I’m pretty sure she’ll be in today.”

  Just as she tapped on Nessa’s name in her contact list, Santino’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled out the phone and motioned to the door.

  “I’ll take this outside. Be right back.”

  Peyton kept her eyes on Santino’s lean frame pacing back and forth on the sidewalk outside as she listened to Nessa’s phone ring. She was startled when a familiar voice sounded behind her.

  “You looking for me?”

  Spinning around, Peyton saw Nessa standing in the lobby, her phone vibrating in her hand.

  “The U.S. Marshals are looking for you,” Peyton blurted.

  “All of them?” Nessa asked, raising an eyebrow.

  Peyton grinned and pointed out the window.

  “I think it’s just that one for now,” she said, looking back at Santino. “He says he’s a criminal investigator with the U.S. Marshal Service, and he needs to see you urgently.”

  “Well, we better get him in here then.”

  Nessa walked to the door and flung it open just as Santino shoved his phone back in his pocket. He looked up and nodded at Nessa.

  “Chief Ainsley?”

  “You got me,” Nessa said. “Now, what do you want with me?’

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Peyton sat in the briefing room with Nessa and Santino, hoping Ingram wouldn’t find out where she was. She knew Nessa would never let her partner sit in on the discussion with the deputy marshal, and she was more than eager to hear what he had to say.

  “I’m sure you know the U.S. Marshals Service is responsible for apprehending federal fugitives,” Santino said, sitting forward in his chair as if he might get up and go at any minute. “But you may not be aware that we also operate the witness security program.”

  “I’m aware,” Nessa said. “And I’m guessing we must have a fugitive or a witness here in our little town.”

  Santino nodded, and Peyton could see stress on his face for the first time. The deputy marshal was in a hurry.

  “Maybe both,” he said. “Ling Lee is a resident in your community. She’s been in the witness security program for many years. It seems her real identity was revealed in your local newspaper. She alerted us this morning, and I’m the lucky investigator who got the case.”

  Unable to stop herself, Peyton asked the next question before Nessa could.

  “So, who’s the fugitive?”

  “Donovan Locke.”

  Santino’s voice hardened as he said the name.

  “He was convicted of multiple felonies involving human trafficking, drug distr
ibution, and possession of illegal firearms. His ex-wife testified against him, but he ended up escaping federal custody. He’s been on the run for twenty-eight years.”

  Widening her eyes, Peyton couldn’t hide her shock.

  “And you’ve never been able to track this loser down?”

  “I wasn’t on the investigation team back then,” Santino countered, but he didn’t sound offended. “From what I can see in the files, the trail went cold, and this is the first time Locke has shown up on the radar in years.”

  “And you have reason to believe this man, this Donovan Locke, may be here?” Nessa asked. “Why would he come to Willow Bay?”

  “Lisa Li is his ex-wife,” Santino explained. “She testified against him. After Locke escaped, she went into witness protection. Based on our records, the protection team tried to make it appear as if she and their child died in an automobile accident.”

  Nessa stared at Santino as the pieces started to fall into place.

  “And now he knows she’s alive and in Willow Bay,” Nessa murmured. “Which explains a lot.”

  “What do you mean?” Santino asked.

  “I mean I think Locke’s already here,” Nessa said slowly. “And I think he’s left us a calling card.”

  Pulling out her phone, Nessa scrolled to the photos she’d snapped of the school IDs that had been in Astrid Peterson’s pocket.

  “This ID was in the pocket of a homicide victim we found in Old Willow square yesterday morning. We think the victim was kidnapped and being held against her will. Maybe even intended for trafficking based on what we know.”

  Nessa passed the phone to Peyton, who passed it on to Santino.

  “Then Locke is already here,” Santino said, staring down at the phone. “And based on what you’ve just told me, it looks like he’s still running the same type of operation he was convicted of before.”

  “So, what’s the plan to catch this guy?” Peyton asked.

  Santino stood and walked to the door.

  “First, I need to meet with Ling Lee to update her on the situation,” he said. “Once we get her somewhere safe, we can pull a task force together and hunt the bastard down.”

  He turned to Nessa.